Amid crisis, Anambra PDP prepares for poll

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has released its timetable for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State. But the crisis rocking the troubled chapter may rob it of victory, reports Assistant Editor AUGUSTINE AVWODE.

The crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has an agenda in Anambra State. The party chieftains have vowed to reclain power at the November 16 governorship election.

The party will be locked in the battle for the governorship with the new mega opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

For the PDP chieftains, the ego of the party has been deflated by its persistent electoral failure to capture the number one seat.

The PDP is not perceived as the main opposition party in Anambra State. The performance of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the previous elections has reduced the PDP’s influence in the state.

As a demonstration of its readiness to win back the state, the PDP recently released its timetable for the proposed contest in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). At the meeting presided over by the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the party announced that the sale and return of the ‘Expression of Interest (EoI) Form’ would take place between August 1 andAugust 5. The price is N10 million each. Then, the state congress to pick the party’s candidate will hold on August 24. The submission of the candidate’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is on Friday, August 30.

Repeat of 2010 experience

Barely two days after the release of the time-table, 27 chieftains obtained the forms. This may translate into a rancorous primary election. The development immediately sent strong signals that the party has serious challenges to contend with, if it must make good its promise to win the state back from the APGA, or deal with the threat posed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Senator Chris Ngige.

A chieftain of the party, who spoke with The Nation on the condition of anonymity, said that he is worried because the development portends grave danger for the party. He said the large number of aspirants is worrisome.

“The party would like to win the state, but I tell you, as an individual, I am not comfortable with the large number of people who purchased the form within two days. Curiously, almost half of them are women. Where have you seen that before, if not that somebody already has a hidden agenda? There we go again. I pray there is no repeat of the 2010 fiasco.”

But at the close of work on August 5, when the sale of the nomination form closed, only a little above half of the number who obtained the form were able to meet the conditions stipulated by the party, including the payment of the N10 million for men and N5 million for women.

A source said: “But for the financial hurdle, the whole exercise could have gone hay wire by now. In 2010, the Expression of Interest Formwas N250,000.00 while the nomination form was N3 million. It was the highest in the country then and it caused some uproar.

“This time, the party had to quickly deal with the situation, once they discovered that some people were bent on causing mischief. Only about two-third of them were able to meet the condition. With a multitude of aspirants, it would create confusion. But even then, the danger is still not yet averted. Those who sponsored hair dressers to take the first form may be out there devising other means to ensure that, if they fail to clinch the ticket, the party goes down. That was what happened in 2010. We must avoid a repeat. And the party must act accordingly”, he said.

Consensus candidacy

Party sources said that the reason for the large number of aspirants was to force the party to consider the option of consensus for the choice of the party’s candidate. But, the national leadership of the PDP had, during the meeting with the party’s stakeholders, resolved not to pick its flag bearer through a consensus arrangement, preferring to go through the party primaries.

The aspirants include the former student activist, Dr Tony Nwoye, Senator Andy Uba (Anambra South), Afam Onwuanyi from Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu from Osumenyi, Nnewi South Local Government Area, former federal legislator Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo from Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area, and Obinna Uzor from Ihiala Council Area, Walter Okeke from Nanka, Orumba North Local Government Area, Ugochukwu Okeke from Ihiala, South Senatorial District; Senator Alphonsus Igbeke from Nsugbe, North Senatorial District, and Dr Alex Obiogbolu from Onitsha North.

How to ensure a united house after the primary election is one of the challenges the party would face in the days ahead. A source in the state told The Nation that the party may have succeeded to a large extent in checking the effect of the large number of aspirants. “The fact is that the high cost of the form has indeed, succeeded in considerably reducing the danger and threat posed by the deployment of stooges and proxies by desperate individuals. Nobody knows their next trick. The party must act smart now, or else, it would find itself in a position where it is late to do anything to stop the opposition from getting to the Government House, Awka ahead of us”, he said.

Factionalisation of PDP

Another challenge confronting the PDP factionalisation. For now, there are two major factions. Some chieftains are parading themselves as the authentic chairmen.

Prince Kenneth Emeakayi is the chairman recognised by the electoral commission. But a section of the National Working Committee (NWC) has claimed that Ejike Oguebego is the authentic chairman. The implication of this is too grave to be underrated. Whether theparty likes it or not, it must find a solution to the leadership crisis.

Already, it was resolved at the party’s stakeholders meeting in Abuja that the factions should submit their membership lists. The goal is to harmonise the lists and arrive at a complete membership list for the August 21 primaries. As a condition, each faction must not only have membership cards, but must produce the evidence of financial membership. Party leaders believe that it the only means of preventing fake party members from participating in the primaries.

The Soludo experience

Former Governor of Central Bank Prof. Charles Soludo was the PDP governorship candidate in the 2010 election. Recently, he defected to the APGA. Analysts fear that, unless the PDP moves to put its house in order, there could be a repeat of the Soludo experience in the party on a larger scale immediately after the November 16 election. The emergence of Soludo in 2010 caused disaffection. Many of those who contested with him openly declared that they would work against the interest of the party. Some of them carried out their threats.

Senator Uba left the fold for the Labour Party, emerging as the flag bearer. He came a distant third in the election. If he had stayed in the party and joined forces with Soludo, the party would have won the election. That Soludo waited this long before jumping ship is indicative of the direction of things in the party in Anambra State.

Anambra PDP elders are worried about the likely outcome of the primaries. They are troubled by their past experience. The elders, it was learnt, are pushing for a thorough screening of the aspirants.

They also want some criteria to guide the screening pannel. A party source said that the party also want PDP to anticipate post-primary crisis and eveolve means of revolving it to prevent chaos.

True reconciliation

Another thing that the party must do in the state is to ensure that it carries out a true reconciliation of aggrieved members in the state. The party must take advantage of two things. The Governor Seriake Dickson-led PDP Reconciliation Committee can assist in bringing about truce in the party. Also, the Board of Trustees(BOT) members, including Second Republic Vice President Alex Ekwueme, Senator Onyeabor Obi, Josephine Anenih and Chief Maxwell can reconcile the factions.